Too Sudden
by AngelaMay234
Summary: A look into the times before, during, and after the film; but just what will insue? Read to find out! Rating has gone up.
1. City Life

October fifth, 1975. A litter of rats was born in a sewer on the edge of Louisville Kentucky. There were six, four boys and two girls. Of these, only three would survive longer than the first month, and one would live longer than any of them could have dreamed.

That, however, was far in the future, and now they had to worry about keeping their remaining children alive; Andrew, Kayla, and the youngest, Justin. The trio soon became inseparable, until one night when Kayla was sick.

"I don't want you going out tonight," their mother, Sarah, told them. Justin and Andrew had planned to head to the Farmer's Market; an area where they went nearly every night to play and collect the scraps of food left behind by the humans.

"But we already promised Rob we'd be there tonight," said Andrew.

"Andrew Wilson," Sarah scolded. "Don't argue with me. You're not going. Is that clear?"

Andrew sighed, turning away and tugging along his younger brother. Justin knew the look in his eye, remembering the other times they had snuck out after their parents were asleep. Their father, Tom, was already in bed, exhausted after a long night spent watching over his remaining daughter. The sun went down about an hour later, and with it, Sarah's lack of sleep caught up to her. When they were sure she was out, Justin and Andrew snuck out of the hole that led to their home, slipping through the shadows until they reached the square.

The air was growing cooler each night, and the number of rats at the market increased. Though they spent most of their time playing in the discarded containers and cans, they always remembered to gather some scraps from the giant bins that were never covered.

"It must have been really busy," Andrew remarked, seeing the large amount of food that littered the ground. "They couldn't even get it all in the trash cans."

Justin gazed around, seeing that the lights were all switched off, even though there was almost always at least one left on. A small feeling began to form in the pit of his stomach, but it was soon forgotten as he engaged in his usual games of tag and hide-n-seek. It was growing close to midnight before he finally decided to stop, only to find that most of his friends had gone.

"Hey, where'd everybody go?" he looked around, calling their names. "Jen, Andrew?" he ventured closer to a large pile of food near the center. "Zach, Robin?"

He'd almost reached it when a strange object crashed over him. The sky above became full of tiny, square holes, the lines between them thin and grey. "H-Hey, what's going on? Someone, help!" his frantic cries were mere squeaks to the humans above, each one dressed in a long white coat. Justin felt his feet leave the ground. He clung desperately to the sides of the net, trying endlessly to chew through it; but, whatever it was made of, it refused to break. He looked behind him, seeing a large white van with four red stains on its side. It wouldn't be until later that he knew what they said: N.I.M.H.

A second later his feet touched solid ground, but his legs soon collapsed from under him. The slamming of doors assailed his ears, a deep rumble causing the paper beneath him to vibrate. Every once in a while the floor would lurch, once more bringing the boy to his knees. Through the tiny windows outside the cage, he could see the night sky speed by, yet the full moon refused to leave. It felt like hours had passed before the van finally pulled up to a large, square building.

Moments later the back doors were opened, a wheeled tray behind the humans. On it were dozens of tiny cages, each one just twice the size of a rat. Justin watched as, one by one, the others were taken out, disappearing from view after they were placed in the tiny cells. He pressed himself against the back of the cage, hoping the humans couldn't reach him. In a few seconds a large hand closed around him, and though he bit and clawed, the human only laughed. "Bit of a lively one, isn't he?" they laughed, shoving him into his cage.

Once inside, he felt a hard object wrap around his throat, though not tight enough to hurt. He tugged and clawed at it, though no amount of effort could remove it. A moment later his cage was placed in a small spot on a shelf, and it only increased the feeling of dread. Justin had looked many times throughout the jolting ride, but had seen no sign of his brother, and he began to doubt that Andrew was even there. Tired and scared, he curled up into a ball in the corner, tears soaking his fur until he finally fell asleep. He would never see his brother, his sister, his parents, or his home again.

* * *

_Please check out this new story I have on Fictionpress. com s/ 3054709 /1/ Backstabber_

_Just copy and paste the address in the url bar and take out the spaces._


	2. Test Subject

Weeks had passed, and still Justin longed for his home back in the city. Every night he still cried himself to sleep, shaking beneath the bit of paper they'd placed in his cage. The humans were doing strange things to him, things he still did not understand. Every morning, as soon as the lights came on, they would take his cage to another room, where they would take a large syringe and press it into his side, leaving it there until the liquid inside had disappeared.

Afterwards, they would place him in front of a large screen, flashing pictures and strange symbols across his vision. A woman's voice played softly in the background, telling him what the symbols were; they were letters, and they were combined to spell the name of the image. So far, he'd seen thirteen such symbols, but each day they showed him more, the pictures and words growing more complicated each time.

There were days when he didn't see the screen at all, instead being placed in a strange wooden tube, with what appeared to be open land on the opposite wall. Just before he reached it, though, tears would fill his eyes, his fur standing on end. He soon realized that he would need to find another way to reach the open air. The twists and turns of the hall were endless, but every time he reached that colored space, he was always one step closer.

Then they would grab him, forcing him back into his tiny prison, carrying him back to the large room where they kept the cages. They kept him fed, his cage clean, water never out of reach; it still felt like torture. Justin longed to be free, to return to life in the city, but he somehow knew that it would never happen. His old life had been yanked out from under him, but he didn't expect to live too long. After all, a rat only lived for a couple of years; but it seemed that even death would deny him.

Three years. Three years and he was still trapped. Half of those he'd known before had either died or were close to it, and he hadn't aged a day since he was captured. Sure, he'd become an adult, but even that took longer than nature intended. He had long ago memorized those symbols, there was twenty-six in all, and could get through the maze in seconds flat. A third test had been added, but even this quickly became easy. Most of his time now was spent lying in his cage, most often scratching words into the wood shelf with his claws, trying to find a way to escape.

He'd already learned how to open his cage, sneaking out at night after the humans had gone, sometimes convincing a few of the others into helping him look for a way out. He had no idea what time of year it was, having not seen the sky since the night he captured, but he resolved to wait until the air in the building turned cool. He'd heard from the scientists that this happened in late spring and lasted until fall. Summer would be the best time, as the nights would be long and warm, and there would be plenty of cover to hide them along the road.

"Where could we go?" asked Victor on such a night. His fur was light tan, and there was a white patch around his right eye. He, Justin and two others were gathered in a small group on the floor, speaking in whispers.

"We can't go back to the city," Justin told them.

"Why not?" asked Greg. His fur was a shade lighter than Justin's, aside from a black stripe that ran the length of his spine.

"Because, everyone we know is most likely dead, and do you really want to go back to eating garbage and living in sewers?"

"I enjoyed that way of life," said Roy, a sleek grey creature. Aside from Justin, he was one of the youngest to have been captured, but it seemed to have affected him more than it had anyone else.

"I did too," Justin told him. "But it wouldn't be the same."

"What do you mean?" asked Greg.

"We can read," Justin began, but Victor cut in.

"We could teach the others how to."

"I know, but we wouldn't age as quickly as they do, and that might lead them to resent us."

The others nodded, knowing that it was true. "Well, where else could we go?" asked Roy.

"We could have our own colony," said Victor. "If we ever escape."

They did, exactly four months later. Justin had done it, after two weeks of trying to find his way through the metal grating that spider-webbed throughout the walls of the lab. Every once in a while, they were hit by a blast of cold air, and most of the mice they had freed were blown away; all but two. Jonathan and Mr. Ages had been the only ones small enough to slip through the grating, and it was thanks to them that the rest made it out. Justin remembered going back to look for the other mice, but he'd had no luck.

In a few minutes he turned back to his friends, eyes set with determination.

"Let's go," he said, and turned his back to NIMH for what would be the first, but not the only time.


	3. Ella Brisby

That was exactly seven years before now. He turned in his sleep, feeling unease creep across him. It was another of those dreams, only now he was trapped in darkness, trying in vain to find his way out.

The chamber was empty, the walls high and hard. He could feel a strong wind in his fur, chilling him to the bone, alighting fear in his heart. Where was he? He tried to move, but found himself pressed against a cold, invisible surface, seeming to steal the breath from his lungs. His heart raced, sweat soaking him through. He hadn't been this afraid in years. Then, suddenly, the wind died down, and a small voice began to speak.

"Why?" it sobbed. It was a female's voice, choked with tears. "Why did he leave?"

He opened his mouth, hoping to reply, only to cough. The voice grew louder, shriller, demanding the same question in echoing tones, shattering his very soul. In a few minutes a strange fluid surrounded his feet. "Why?"

He coughed again, still frozen in place. He looked to the ceiling, seeing a pinpoint of light. His eyes widened as it grew, feeling the liquid flow past his waist. He couldn't see clearly, and his lungs labored for breath; it still felt like something was choking him. A moment later the red glow was in front of him.

It was Jonathan, but in a way not, and he could see the Stone clasped in the mouse's hands. He said nothing, his eyes empty red spheres of light, an image forming in the red jewel that hung around his neck. Inside it was a sobbing creature, head bowed on a table, shivering helplessly. Justin wanted to ask what it meant, but he could no longer open his lips. Jonathan continued to fly closer, until they were nose to nose. The echoing voice was painfully loud to him now.

"Save her, my friend," he whispered. "For only you can." In a moment he faded, and the young rat let out a cry of pain as his heart burst.

Justin opened his eyes and looked around, realizing that he was back in the guards' barracks. He lay, panting in his bed, coughing lightly. It wasn't the first time he had dreamed of such things, but it was by far the cruelest of them. He rose slightly, seeing that he was alone. The others must have known he'd been out late the night before, so they had left him alone to sleep. Fortunately, he had awoken just in time for his shift at the back entrance.

_Not that anything ever happens back there,_ he thought, but knew that they couldn't be too careful. He stood and dressed, buttoning the light yellow shirt, slipping the dark blue vest over his head. He then wrapped the black belt around his waist, running a hand through his fur. He yawned, still feeling a bit tired from last night.

Ages had attempted to drug the cat, but had gotten caught by the humans, and had almost been killed. Justin remembered having to wait until the humans were asleep, then going in and searching the house from top to bottom. The old mouse had been wedged between the stove and the wall, with his leg twisted beneath him. His field training had come in handy then, as he set the bone, using scarps of fabric from his bag to make a rough splint. Carrying Ages back had been the easy part, in his opinion.

He thought about skipping his shift and heading back to bed, but figured that as captain, he was already setting a bad example by being late. He opened the door and stepped outside, surprised to see that the halls were empty. No matter, because everyone would already be at the meeting. Justin never went though, unless he felt he had to. He headed down the hall toward the back entrance, hoping not to be stopped. He wasn't.

Thinking things over, he realized that it had been more than eight months since Jonathan's demise. He too, had been caught by the humans, but he hadn't been as lucky as Ages. The cat had been upon him before he'd known what had hit him. And his family still didn't know. Justin had lost track of how many times he'd told the mouse to forget them and go back to his family, but he had never listened.

_And now he's gone,_ the young rat thought. Looking up, he realized that he had already reached his destination, and that he could hear the echo of voices. He could never mistake the old, gravelly voice of Mr. Ages, but the other voice was high and sweet, and one he'd heard before in his dreams. He had no time to ponder it though, as they had come around the bend just as he arrived.

He stood in the middle of the entrance, feet shoulder-width apart, arms crossed over his chest. He smiled slightly when he saw them, but it quickly vanished as Ages looked in his direction.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Justin told him.

The old mouse rolled his eyes, but said nothing. It was then that he noticed the source of that other voice; a much younger mouse, wrapped in a ragged red cape. She was beautiful; slender, with deep blue eyes.

"And who, may I ask?" he said in a suave voice. She blushed, and looked away.

"Yes, yes, she can be trusted," Ages said quickly. "This is no stranger." He paused, not seeing the glint in the guard's eye. "My dear, may I present Justin, the captain of the guard." Justin straightened to his full height, smiling proudly. "Justin, this is Mrs. Brisby."

Justin nearly gaped with surprise. "Not…Mrs. Jonathan Brisby," he said.

"Yes the same," Ages mumbled.

Justin smiled warmly, bowing grandly before Mrs. Brisby. "It is an honor and a privilege, milady." He passed his lips over her hand. Her blush deepened, and she just barely suppressed a shy giggle. He straightened, walking beside her, not paying attention to what he was saying.

_She's beautiful,_ he thought, heart racing. He kept his hands clasped behind him, in case he lost control of his emotions. He'd never known that such a thing was even possible. Indeed, it was her appearance that had first captured him, but he felt himself fall deeper every second she was within his line of sight. He looked up, realizing that they had reached the meeting without his noticing. He saw that Ages had his ear pressed against the wooden door, trying to hear without entering. Justin rolled his eyes, walking up and grabbing the old mouse by the collar.

"Oh, come on, you suspicious old goat," he pushed the door open, depositing Ages inside. Mrs. Brisby laughed quietly behind them. Her smile vanished though, when she saw the source of the voice she'd heard in the hall. It was a large, dark grey rat, clothed in almost solid black; a head taller than the dark brown guard. He turned, chuckling at the trio before him. "We were just talking about you." His teeth were sharp, perfectly white.

Justin didn't seem intimidated. "Well that's refreshing, Jenner; usually you're screaming about us," he said. A few in the room laughed, though it was brief. Jenner was about to turn around, when he noticed the small form hiding behind his foe.

"Who is that? You know the rules, there are no visitors allowed here!"

Justin turned to the side, bowing as had earlier. "May I present, Mrs. Jonathan Brisby."

She thought he overdid it, but she gulped and curtsied anyway. A second later her eyes met his, refusing to leave until Mr. Ages tapped her on the shoulder.

"Take Mrs. Brisby to the library. We'll approach Nicodemus when the meeting's over."

The library was empty, as everyone had gone to the meeting to listen to Jenner's rantings against the Plan. Justin led her over to a small couch, watching as she jumped lightly onto the cushion. He soon sat down beside her, as she stared out at all the wonders around her. He smiled, looking upon this lovely young lady, knowing how much John must have loved her.

_And now I'm under her spell,_ he thought. His gaze refused to leave her, as she continued to look around, and it was a few minutes before he finally found his voice.

"I take it you're enjoying this?" he asked.

"It's absolutely amazing," she replied, voice an awed whisper.

He chuckled. "I suppose it is," he said. "But I can tell that's not the only thing on your mind."

She nodded. "I'm trying to figure out why John kept all of this from me," she admitted.

"It's because he loved you," Justin told her. "He just couldn't face the fact that he would outlive you by years, and he thought you would leave him if you found out."

She sighed. "I wouldn't have left; I wish I could tell him that." A tear rolled down her cheek, and he reached up to wipe it away. She then turned to face him, eyes glittering sadly. He gave her a small smile.

"Everything's going to be okay," he told her. "I promise."

"I believe you, Justin," she said quietly.

"I hope so," he said to himself, but then brightened. "I don't believe I caught your first name," he said.

She blushed. "It's Ella," she whispered shyly.

"Ella," he repeated. The word was sweet on his tongue. He gazed at her, feeling something tug at his heart, and in a moment the question left his lips. "Forgive me for asking, but do you know the truth behind Jonathan's death?"

She shook her head. "I always thought Dragon had gotten him," the tears returned to her eyes. "Have I been believing a lie?"

He nodded gravely. "I'm afraid so," he said. He paused, wondering how best to explain it to her. Should he get right to the point, or should he tell her what had led up to Jon's death?

He was about to speak when she suddenly blurted, "Why would he keep this a secret?"

The sigh came again, heavier than before. "After we escaped from NIMH, we never associated with normal creatures. I think he felt ashamed in some way, that he fell in love with someone whom others considered beneath him."

"Beneath him?"

"He told a few of us about you, and though I accepted it, they told him that he could never be with normal creatures again, no matter what the circumstances."

"I wouldn't care if he'd told me. I loved him, and I still do."

He smiled, touching her shoulder. "He loved you more than his own life," he paused, and the smile vanished. "Which is why he gave it for you."

"W-What?"

"Jenner overheard him speaking with Nicodemus, about how he wanted to give you the Stone, that maybe it could give you the ability to live as long as him."

"What happened?"

"He'd told me of his plan, and I offered to accompany him, since I knew of Jenner's hatred for him. At first he'd objected, saying that it would be impossible to explain if you saw me, but eventually he accepted, knowing he wouldn't need to hide if it worked. He wrapped it in cloth, and we started for your home.

"I never told him, but I had hidden a short sword on my person, in case _it _happened. And, sure enough, it did."

Jonathan turned, sniffing the air. "Did you hear something?" he asked, looking uneasy.

Justin shook his head, though his eyes were locked on a figment of shadow beneath an old log, and a glimmer of silver. "Look out!"

Jon leapt aside, a knife in the ground where he'd just stood. The shape of the blade caught his attention, and he hissed in anger. "Jenner!"

Jenner stood in the open, grinning evilly. From where he stood neither appeared to be armed, and he chuckled at the thought of an easy victory. He drew his blade, rushing at Jonathan.

Jon stood frozen, cursing himself for not seeing the danger. He tensed, prepared to die, when Justin pulled a blade out of nowhere. Steel rang as they met, and Jon swore he saw the flames of hell in their eyes. He watched, helpless as Justin fought for their lives, wishing he could help. He gazed down at the Stone, still wrapped in cloth, but knew that it would be impossible to use it now.

He looked up, seeing his home in the distance, but Jenner blocked him every time he tried to run. In a few minutes Justin was thrown to the ground, his limbs deeply cut. Jon watched in horror as Jenner turned toward the rock.

"You should have listened, Jonathan," he said, laughing. "Then maybe she could have been spared."

He gasped, remembering that Ella had given birth a few days before, and that he had four children depending on him.

"You'll never touch her," he growled. He grabbed Justin's sword, not caring about its weight, running at the dark form. Jenner was busy licking the blood from his blade, but easily blocked the blow. Jonathan was half his size, but the mouse fought with a fury that shocked him; unfortunately it didn't last long.

The blade tore through his lungs, and he saw the mad glee in Jenner's eyes as his own began to water. Blood dripped on his chest with each fading breath. With the last of his strength, he whispered "I'm s-sorry, Ella." His life faded, and he collapsed on the ground.

Jenner laughed, flinging his body into the pond nearby, then wiped the blade in the grass. The Stone was nowhere to be found, and Justin was still. Cursing openly, he picked up the torn bits of their clothes, heading back to the bush. As soon as he was gone, Justin began to breathe. His wounds still bled, and his tattered clothes did little to slow it. Leaving his sword where it was, he slowly limped back to the bush. The Stone was found a few days later, by a young rat named Conrad.

"And yet no one believed me when I told them what happened," he finished. Ella was stunned, finally seeing the depth of Jenner's hatred. Her eyes were round, dripping with tears. Once again, he reached up to wipe them away, but she grabbed his hand.

"T-Thank you," she whispered. "F-For telling me."

"I felt that you had a right to know. Dragon had nothing to do with it."

She was quiet a moment, gazing off into space, her eyes holding a sad, distant look. He at once regretted telling her, knowing that he had just sent another wave of pain crashing over her heart. Instead of weeping however, she smiled, just a bit.

"T-Thank you," she said. "For telling me."

"Will you be alright?" he asked, feeling guilt. She nodded, though she still appeared uneasy. "There's no need to be worried," he continued. "By tomorrow you and your family will be living in peace."

"I'd forgotten what peace is," she said, voice suddenly bitter. He motioned for her to explain. "My parents died just days before I met Jonathan, and in just months he was taken from me." She paused, then changed the subject. "My children are all I have left, and now I can't help but feel that I'm about to lose them as well."

He fought back a tear, gripping her hand firmly. "Ella, I understand all too well how you feel, for I've lost family as well." Her returned look was blank. He went on to say how NIMH had robbed him of his family, his freedom, and nearly his life. Her eyes widened in shock as he went in detail as to how the scientists treated him, how he felt he would die whenever they injected him with X41, or whatever else had been in the vial of that syringe. It was obvious she didn't understand, but he felt it was better that she didn't, he just needed to talk about it. It was silent a short while after, both drowning in their past horrors, the quiet broken by the quiet creaking of the library door. Ages gazed at them from afar, seeing the look in each of their eyes.

"I'm frightened," she whispered suddenly, lifting her head. Justin turned to her, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Everything's going to be okay," he said quietly, kissing her hand. "I promise." It wouldn't be long before he realized the utter falseness of his words.

* * *

Okay, I lied. Not _all _of the chapters are going to be as short as I intended, but I still hope that this will be a short story; though I'm not sure that'll happen.


	4. Medicinal Romance

I know it's been a while since I updated, but here's long awaited chapter four! :)

* * *

Ella shook in her bed, fighting to wake. Her hands burned as she twisted her sheets, tightly closed eyes brimming with tears as she tried to calm down. It had three hours since the rats had moved her home, and she could still smell the blood that had soaked the soil, even if the rain had long since washed it away. Her eyes snapped open, gazing fearfully around the quiet space. Her children were all still asleep, crowded in the center of their dirt floor. She slipped from her bed, wrapping her cape tightly around her, heading into the living room.

The shrew had long since gone home, and she could smell the dampness as spring grew ever closer. But they wouldn't have to worry now, thanks to the rats. But she wondered if this triumph was worth the price they had paid. After all, they'd lost their leader, their home, and Justin had nearly lost his life.

_Justin…_the one who had saved her from Jenner, fighting his blade with a simple wooden staff, piercing his lungs with his own sword in revenge for Jonathan's murder, the one who'd stopped her from killing herself when the house had been sinking. She owed them all so much, and wondered how she could ever possibly repay them; but it didn't take long for her to find a way.

The Stone glowed in its place, settled on the table after Ages and Martin had brought her inside. She'd told Nicodemus she'd always treasure it, but she was frightened of it now, after seeing the power it contained. She figured it could at least be a start. _But how to get it to them? _Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft sound near the entrance of her home. Placing the gem in her cape, she snuck out to investigate.

She'd forgotten how lovely the farm was at night, seeing the land lit silver by the moon, the stars small diamonds in black velvet cloth, the soft sound of the wind in the grass. She gazed in all directions, seeing no one, and was just about to go inside when she heard a small sound. It was faint, and pained, coming from the small pond near her home. Though she felt scared, Ella knew that someone needed her help, and she wasn't about to abandon them. But what she saw was far from what she expected. It was a rat, dressed in torn clothes.

"E-Excuse me," she managed. The rat turned to her, and they both gasped in shock. "Justin?"

"Ella?" the young mouse came closer. He shed away.

"What happened to you?"

He shook his head, turning away. "It's nothing," he said. "Just a scratch."

"I'm not falling for that," she said firmly. "I can see those wounds from here." She took his hand in both of hers, seeing the scratches that covered it, as well as the rest of his body. The wound on his arm was still open, bleeding freely, as well as several claw marks on his chest and shoulders, and there was even a small cut above his eye, leaking down his cheek. "These will become infected if they're not taken care of soon," she told him, feeling that something was off. "Come with me."

She brought him to her home, knowing that she could provide the attention he needed. She continued their conversation as she gathered what she would need. "Why didn't you see Mr. Ages?"

"He'd already left by the time I was attacked," Justin said quietly. "And I knew I would die if I tried to leave in this condition."

"You were attacked?" she asked. It had just registered with her. "By who?"

"I didn't see," he told her. "But I almost didn't get away."

Ella knelt beside him, taking his hand in hers. She'd treated enough of her family's injuries to know when they were serious. Thankfully the cuts on his palm weren't too bad, but what bothered her most was the fact that something seemed to be stuck in them. They appeared to be wooden splinters. After she cleared the wounds she pulled out a small jar.

"This is going to burn," she warned him. "But it'll clear out any infection that may have already set in."

The pain was nothing compared to the shame he felt, having her see him like this. He'd never been hurt in battle before tonight, and he felt like such an idiot for not being more careful. Yet he couldn't help the fact that his heart was beating wildly every moment she was near.

"You're going to have to take off your tunic," she told him. "Otherwise I can't treat your wounds properly."

He made no effort to remove his clothes, lost in thought as he was, but Ella didn't hesitate before doing it herself. She was shocked to see the full extent of his wounds. They were very deep, soaking his fur with blood, and they also seemed full of shards of wood. She pulled them out quickly, placing them on a cloth to discard later, rubbing in the burning medicine. They were bad enough that she had to stich them closed before applying the bandages. One hand lingered on his chest as she finished with the cut on his face, her lips lingered in his fur as she bit off the thread.

"You're going to be sore for a few days," she said, cleaning up. She wrapped leftover bandages in a ball around her paw, placing it back in her basket. "In the meantime, I'd think it'd be best if you stay, just until they heal."

"Thank you," he said softly. He looked up, seeing her in the shifting glow. "You're lovely by firelight," he added suavely. She blushed, laughing shyly as she sat beside him. In minutes his arm had fallen softly around her. "Jonathan was lucky to have you," he whispered, and nuzzled her ear. She smiled, moving closer, resting her head on his shoulder. It had been so long since she'd felt this way, and she wasn't about to let it slip away. She felt Justin's hand grasping her chin, and lifted her head to face him. His eyes glittered beautifully in the dancing light. He leaned forward, and kissed her tenderly. It was pure heaven.


	5. Not Really Goodbye

Chapter five, posted because I couldn't sleep, and a heads-up: the rating of this story may be upped to T, if not M within a few chapters because of future events.

* * *

Those few days turned out to be several weeks. Justin's wounds had healed quickly, but the children kept begging him to stay longer, he felt he had no choice but to comply. His relationship with their mother also continued to blossom. She took any excuse to check on his scars, usually when her children were outside or playing in the other room, and even sometimes when they were watching. But they hadn't kissed since that first night. He had stayed nearly three months when he felt it was time to leave.

"I have to go," he said sadly. It was dark, long after the children had gone to bed. He had his arms wrapped tightly around her, as they lay curled together in front of the fireplace. Yet at his words she looked up, tears filled her eyes.

"Oh, must you?" she whispered. He nodded sadly, wiping the drops from her cheek. He let his lips rest on her forehead.

"It won't be forever," he spoke quietly, then held her closer. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't be," she said, trying to sound brave. She smiled, resting a hand on his shoulder. "They need you up there; I don't think they could survive too long on their own."

He laughed. "True," he lowered his face to hers, so their lips nearly touched. "They need a leader to live, and I've been ignoring my duties."

She giggled. "I'm going to miss you,"

"As will I, but remember," he paused, letting his breath mingle with hers. "It's not really good-bye."

She seemed about to pull away, but he wasn't about to let her escape. He tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her to his chest, kissing her with all the passion in his heart. Ella soon gave in, eyes dropping shut as she clung to him. She didn't want to forget the warmth of his body, the sweetness of his lips, the strength of his hands as they slowly caressed her; she didn't want to forget what heaven felt like. Her breath came in small gasps when he pulled away; heart racing as he whispered the words she'd so longed to hear. "I love you, and I promise that I will never forget you."

She could only reply with a soft sound of bliss.

He was gone before morning, just hours after their romance, just minutes after telling her the location of their home in Thorn Valley. She'd given him the amulet to make sure he never forgot. The children questioned again and again when they could visit, but Ella didn't know how to reply without giving away how she felt. She badly wanted to go, even more than they did, but she felt that they couldn't arrive too early without causing some sort of suspicion. She decided to wait until winter, when she knew it was safe. But she couldn't be sure if she would live that long.

He couldn't recall why he had left, or even why he'd told her in the first place. The ache in his heart grew stronger every night they were apart, but he dared not invite her too soon. His late arrival had caused enough suspicion, even more so when Ages had seen the scars from his wounds. Upon being questioned he'd told the mouse everything, then made him swear he wouldn't tell anybody. For some reason, he didn't want them to know that he was in love, at least not yet. Though when he arrived, Justin had plenty of other things to occupy his time.

They'd barely managed without an "overhead influence", their term for a leader, and apparently no one had claimed the vacant spot of captain in the guard. Well, he figured that since one of their previous leaders had held both roles, then why not him? It hadn't seemed that difficult for Jonathan, but he'd given up both roles soon before his marriage, in order to spend as much time as possible with his future wife and family, but even that hadn't lasted too long. He swore a silent oath that he would keep them from danger, even at the cost of his own life. Yet he found himself hoping it wouldn't come to that.

_It won't, _he told himself firmly. _Not if I can help it. _Now that their home was hidden from humans, he knew they wouldn't have any trouble, but that it also didn't hurt to be prepared. Yet it wasn't NIMH he was worried about. He was afraid that his true love would be stolen too soon. _That stone must have done something, _he thought. After all, it had been imbued with their DNA, and its power was absorbed by any who used it. Ella had used it, meaning that she should live as long as them, but they couldn't be sure right away. He'd just have to wait, hoping he was able to.


	6. Winter Valley

Winter came quickly, bringing with it a sharp drop in temperature, but none of the snow she'd missed since her childhood. The children had never seen snow before, but she knew that Thorn Valley was far enough north that they would have at least a little; the only problem was figuring out how to get there. The walk would take them almost a week, and flying was out of the question. Wait a minute, flying! Jeremy had dropped by more than once, asking when he could take them somewhere, since his wife didn't want him near the nest until her eggs hatched; but how to find him? It didn't take long before she figured a way.

It was a long piece of silver wire, left over from when she'd gone into the farmhouse with Jonathan. It flashed beautifully in the soft winter sun, just the thing to get the scatter-brained bird's attention. But when she looked outside, she found she wasn't going to need it. Jeremy was already outside, talking to her children. Apparently they'd discovered her plans, for the young mice all had small bags settled in the frost beside them; she went to her room to get her own things together.

Her tattered red cape had been lost soon before Justin left, and in its place was a new one of the same color, longer, with warm gloves she'd made to match. They went to her elbows, attached to her hands by two small wooden rings. She loved how warm the things made her feel, yet she felt that Justin did in fact have something to do with her old cape's disappearance. Oh well, nothing could last forever. In a few minutes she was ready, and a half-hour later they were gliding on the wind toward Thorn Valley. She and her daughters rode on Jeremy's back, their bags tied behind them, while the boys rode safely in the clutches of his feet. The crow wasn't nearly as clumsy as he'd been when they met, so she'd had no objections toward the arrangement. She just hoped his wife wouldn't see he was gone.

"He should be back before then," she told herself quietly, then focused on the misty mountains that seemed to grow closer each minute. She figured they'd be there before too much longer.

"Mama," Cynthia tapped on her shoulder. "Will the rats be happy to see us?"

"Of course they will, sweetie," Ella replied, though she wasn't so sure. The rats of NIMH had lost their leader while moving her home, but then again she'd warned them of NIMH's threat, and had nearly died herself in the aftermath. Would they even accept her now as one of their own, or would they treat her as coldly as they had the first time she'd arrived unannounced? But they'd been listening to Jenner then, and now Justin was in charge, and Justin loved her. At least, she hoped he still did. What if he had found someone else? What if he'd forgotten his promise to never forget her? What if he thought she was dead?

_I should be by now, _she told herself. She knew all too well the life cycle of mice, and knew that she'd bypassed it by more than half a year, but then, she'd felt different ever since she'd used the Stone. Reading was easy now, and math she could cope with, the only problem still was writing, but then again she'd never practiced that anyway. She figured she would have plenty of time to learn in the valley, especially since she hoped to stay beyond the winter. But that was in the future, and she pushed her mind back into the present, just in time to hear her boys fall laughing into the snow. Jeremy, who had seen snow plenty before, hadn't warned them that he was about to land, instead dropping them into the soft white flakes.

"What is this stuff?" asked Timothy. He was dressed in a dark shirt with long sleeves, made of thick fabric to keep out the cold. Martin was clad in similar garb. Her daughters wore almost identical dresses, each with a cape like their mother's, except that Cynthia's was light blue, while Teresa's was pink. They dropped down into the snow with their brothers.

"I don't know," said Cynthia, licking up a handful. She was shocked to feel it melt in her mouth. "But it tastes like water."

"That's because it is water," said Martin. He had seen it once, when he was very little. "It's called snow, and it's nothing more than small flakes of frozen water and," he added, smiling. "If you look closely, you'll see that each flake is different from the others."

They were so preoccupied with the tiny crystals that they never saw the rat come from the cliffs. Ella did though, and gasped with shock. It was Justin, but he also looked different. There was a small shock of hair on his head, making him look younger than he really was, and a long cape of thick cloth rested on his shoulders; it was held by a small gold chain at his neck. The shirt he wore was white instead of yellow, his hands still covered in bandages. The cape was the same shade of dark blue as his vest. She paused a moment, then ran to him, only to be caught up in his arms.

"Oh, Justin," she whispered. Tears of joy dropped from her eyes, his smooth touch coming to wipe them away. She barely noticed her chattering teeth as the snow soaked into the fur of her feet. He compensated by taking her off them completely.

"You have no idea how I've longed to see you," he said quietly. He held her close to help block out the cold. "But, what are you doing here?"

"I told them we would come for the winter," she told him. "And Ella Brisby keeps her promises."

He smiled. "Well I'm glad she does," he held her with one arm, like a baby, allowing his free hand to slip through the soft fur of her cheek. Jeremy, who felt like he was intruding, had resolved to playing with her children until he was ready to leave. The goofy crow had reverted back to his old self, tumbling and laughing when they attempted to climb onto his back. Thankfully their packs remained in a pile some distance from the silliness. Justin felt it was the perfect time to do what he'd wanted for months. He moved his lips closer to hers. She desperately wanted his kiss, but, "Justin, the children…"

"Are facing the other way and don't have eyes in the backs of their heads," he let his mouth settle on hers, stealing her breath as love overtook her. It became deeper, more passionate than either had intended, but they found they didn't care, just so long as her children hadn't seen. For some reason, she didn't want them to know that she was in love, at least not yet. She looked back to the cliffs, seeing a small dot vanish over the rim. She had the feeling that they'd never see the farm again.


	7. Two Weeks Later

Two weeks had passed since her arrival, and Ella was still having trouble finding her way around. Her children had adjusted quickly, since they had their father's blood, but they had been more than willing to help her, at least until now. Teresa was hanging out with girls her own age, laughing and gossiping, while Martin had tried to stay out of trouble. Timothy was in the library, where he practically lived and slept; the librarian had had to bring him back to their room more than once in the past weeks. But she wasn't worried about the older children, not at that moment. It was her youngest. Cynthia had wandered off during lunch, and Ella's head was spinning as she tried to keep from getting lost herself.

_Why is this so hard for me? _She wondered, knowing it was most likely because she was "beneath them", a normal creature. But the facts of her DNA didn't seem to make any difference to them, now that Jenner had vanished from their midst, now that Justin was leading them. _Speaking of which, where is he? _She stopped, sighing with impatience, when she looked up to see crossed blades on the wall above her head. She vaguely recalled what it stood for, and hoped that someone inside would be able to help her, yet the hall seemed empty. She was about to leave when she heard some noise from behind closed doors. Curiosity getting the best of her, Ella pushed aside one of the dark slabs of wood.

She entered on a sight she never thought she would see. The hollow space had a floor of soft soil, walls covered with a strange type of padding, but what caught her most was the large ring in the center of the space. It was raised a good half-foot from the ground, a foot long from side to side, with two rats fighting on top of it. One of them she knew right away, but only because she'd seen him so much before, the other was a light grey she'd never seen. Both were dressed in identical white shirts, sleeveless, tied with white sashes. The grey one seemed at a disadvantage, though a good deal larger than his opponent, he was apparently less skilled, unable to break free of the hold he was trapped in. That is, until his foe got distracted. He glanced once in her direction, and instantly saw the fear in her eyes.

"Okay, Cameron," he said, releasing the boy. "That's enough for now. Go back to the others; find someone at your skill level."

Justin turned away, unaware of the mischief dancing in Cameron's light eyes; he tiptoed up behind his captain, wrapping an arm around his neck, dragging him back and tossing him to the floor. He then proceeded to tackle him, but his attack didn't last long.

"Enough!" bracing his hands on the floor, Justin gave a hard kick with both legs, sending the boy flying, crashing into the padded wall. He then flipped backward onto his feet. Cameron, smiling shamefully at Ella, hurried from the room, keeping his gaze from the harsh brown stare. She laughed as her love leapt down from the ring. "Sorry you had to see that." She shook her head, but her smile suddenly gone. "What's happened?"

"It's Cynthia," she replied. "I can't find her anywhere."

"I'm sorry," he said. "But I'm afraid I haven't seen her."

"That's just it," she informed him. "No one's seen her since school this morning, and I've been looking for almost an hour now."

"Don't worry, we'll find her."

They'd just entered the hall when a grey mouse passed by.

"Martin," Mrs. Brisby called to her son. "Have you seen Cynthia?"

"She's in the library with Timothy," he told her. "I'm just going to join them myself."

"Okay, thank you." Martin nodded, continuing on his way. She waited until his tail disappeared before turning to Justin. "And as for you," she scolded playfully. "What was the rats' leader doing in the guards' barracks?"

He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "No one would take the position, so I now hold two roles." She sighed, shaking her head, not seeing the look in his eyes. "Would you come with me for a bit?" he asked. "There's something I've been meaning to show you."

He brought her to his apartment, which sat off in a quiet corner of the colony. It had originally been intended for Nicodemus, but became his the moment he arrived. The walls were soft, smooth soil, with a stone column every few paces. The furnishings were mainly of a dark blue or rusty red, with a checkered rug of both colors coating the floor. A small window sat above a dark wooden desk, looking out at the snow-covered landscape of winter. The desk was littered with small stacks of paper. She walked in, not seeing as he shut the door behind them, loosening the sash at his waist. He wasn't surprised when she entered the doorway to his bedroom.

The color scheme was exactly the same, with a blue cover resting on a wide bed, a rusty rug at the foot of it. There was also a grey stone fireplace, a smaller replica of the one in the living room. A sheathed blade rested on the mantle. "It's beautiful," she said quietly.

"Yeah, I guess it is pretty nice, isn't it?" Justin leaned on the doorframe behind her, slipping a hand to her waist. He pulled her close, letting her head rest on his chest. In a few minutes he whispered her name. "Ella."

She gazed at him; feeling his breath mingle with hers, hear beating wildly as his mouth pressed against hers. His kisses came quickly, her body warming so that beads of sweat formed in her fur. Ella gazed into his eyes, seeing everything. She knew what he wanted, and was more than willing to give it to him.


	8. The Bitch

**Part 8, labeled quite simply as "The Bitch". Not sure when I'll have 9 up.**

* * *

Ella gasped, giving freedom to her last cries of excitement, feeling his warmth surrounding her as she fought to catch her breath. He was still above her, resting his forehead against hers, greedily taking in her sweet scent. She was so pure, so beautiful and full of life. He felt like a god at that moment, having her in his arms as he settled in the sheets beside her. He'd never experienced anything like what they'd just done.

"I love you," he whispered, and once more caught her mouth with his. He'd thought it was infatuation at first, but knew that a mere crush could never have made him feel this way, made him bold enough to claim her as his.

"And I love you," her voice was rough, but was still music to his ears. The sun had just begun to set outside, bathing them in a soft golden light. He flipped to his back, pulling her on top of him. He smiled; weaving a hand through her hair, making sure every detail of her face was forever etched into his mind.

"Ella," he whispered. She sighed happily, burying her face in the crook of his neck, taking in his warm scent. She'd nearly forgotten what it was like to love someone, to know there was someone out there willing to die to keep her safe. Everything about him was just so perfect, even the bandages that still covered his hands.

"Surely your wounds have healed by now," she whispered, barely paying attention to the words.

"I don't want anybody seeing the scars," he hissed back.

"Why not?" she asked, though not really caring at the moment.

"It was the first time I was wounded in a fight," he said softly. "I want to make sure it doesn't happen again."

She smiled, running a claw down his arm. He was definitely stronger than when they had met. Their eyes slowly closed, lips meeting thoroughly as a small sound came from outside. They paid it no mind.

"Justin?" a young woman inched the door open, blushing profusely at the scene before her. She pulled the door shut, vanishing just as their kiss ended. They then slipped deeper under the sheets.

"I'm telling you, Kat," said Jamie. "I saw Justin, my kid brother, with a girl."

"Mm-mmm, girl, you know that kid ain't really your brother."

"I know, but I've known him so long, I've just come to think of him that way."

The two friends were busy folding laundry. Kat's real name was Katherine, but most people used her nickname. Jamie had known Justin since they were kids in the city, and had been half in love with him ever since. She'd just told Katherine what she had seen, blushing the entire time. "I didn't think it would ever happen."

"Girl," Kat stared at her, disbelief on her face. She was solid black, with hard eyes and a fiery temper. Jamie was one of few she could get along with. "All the skirts he chase after, and you thinkin' the guy ain't straight? Man, what is wrong with you?"

"Well, it's just…he hangs out in the barracks so often t-that I just assumed-"

"There are female guards, 'case you forgotten. You lookin' at one right now."

Jamie just laughed. Sure, she was a bit jealous, but she could deal with it. It was the other girls she was worried about. "Think they'll do anything?"

"To him? Hell, no," she dropped her basket, pointing at Jamie. "Trust me, I seen what that fool can do; now he don't hold back-"

"Yes, I'll admit, he is quite brash, isn't he?" they turned, seeing a gorgeous woman.

"Hello, Helena," snapped Jamie. Helena was known as the colony's lone prostitute. While most of the women wore rather modest peasant-style gowns, she wore short, tight dresses that barely covered anything, and was also the only one to smoke. She'd created them herself, taking the less tasteful herbs from the garden, drying them, then crushing them up to be wrapped in bits of gold paper she'd learned to make in the bush. While most of the males found her repulsive, there were a few who longed for her company, and would do anything to get it. "What do you want?"

"Oh, I'm interested in anything that concerns my young nephew," she replied smoothly. She took a long drag of her cigarette, blowing bitter smoke in their faces. In addition to being a total bitch, she was also Justin's last real remaining relative. She was his mother's older sister. "Now, what's this I hear about his having a girl?"

"It ain't none o' your business, whore," snapped Kat. She took up her now empty basket, pushing past her. Jamie soon followed, but was pulled back by a clawed hand.

"So dear," Helena hissed in her ear. The strange smell of perfume almost made her cough. "Who is it? Who's stolen the heart of my nephew?"

"I said it ain't none o' your business, bitch," Kat dragged her friend away, not seeing the fear in Jamie's blue eyes, or the bitter look that filled Helena's green ones.


	9. NIMH

They'd been there barely a month when disaster came to their door. They had been outside, enjoying the snow when Jeremy crashed through the trees, nearly landing in the frozen lake. The crow appeared more frantic than usual, with tears glistening in his feathers. Ella came as fast as she could when she saw him.

"Jeremy," she gasped. "What happened?" her stance seemed a little off balance, and the pale dress she wore was oddly shaped. Justin stood behind her, hands clasped on her shoulders.

"Oh, Mrs. B," he cried. "It's terrible; the farm, gone up in flames!"

"What?" she asked shocked; a fire, in the middle of winter?

"It was those men," he gasped. "The ones that came with the white van after the rats left; they set fire to the whole place, after kidnapping the farmer and his family!"

She nearly fainted; their own home, gone up in smoke? "What about Tiffany?" she asked quietly.

"She and the brood couldn't make it out in time," he replied sadly. His large tears splashed into the snow. "I tried to get them, but those men caught me in a net and pulled me away," he stopped, then added, "They let me go after taking a bit of my blood."

Ella broke into tears. Justin held her close as she cried into his chest. So, NIMH thought they were still at the farm, and the scientists were trying to burn them out, but under whose orders?

"Jeremy," he said firmly, but the crow had already vanished. No matter, as he could be tracked by the marks his tears left in the flakes, provided it didn't snow again before he got the chance. In the meantime, he worked on calming Ella, thinking about how complicated their future had just become.

He was still thinking about it later that night. The children had all gone to bed, and he sat with Ella in front of the large stone fireplace. The sky outside was clear, but without moon or stars. He could almost smell the smoke as it wafted on the breeze from the farm. But that wasn't the only thing on his mind. Jamie had told him what'd happened with Helena; how she had seemed almost jealous of a girl she knew nothing about. He couldn't believe he shared blood with her, even if nobody knew. He planned to keep it that way.

_There's no telling what she may do, _the words stung, but he knew he had to be prepared for anything when it came to her. She'd committed a fair number of crimes in her life; after all, she'd wed Jenner hadn't she? That sickened him even more, knowing he was related to their colony's devil-incarnate, even if it was only by marriage. But that fact only pushed more pride into the fact that he'd killed him, ridding their lives of at least one stain.

_If only things had been different, _but the thought was quickly shoved from his mind. If things had been different, if NIMH hadn't captured him, then he wouldn't be here now, holding his love tightly in his arms, yet he would've been able to live his life as a normal creature, instead of being cut off from most of his own kind.

"You seem upset," her voice echoed in his mind, bringing him back to the present. He smiled slightly.

"I guess I'm just a little distracted," he said quietly. She chuckled, but slipped from his embrace.

"I suppose I am as well," she said, staring into the fireplace. The dancing flames reflected in her eyes, but she seemed unable to see their shifting hue. "I'm still thinking about what Jeremy told us," she added. "About NIMH burning the farm. What did they honestly think the action would gain?"

"They were trying to burn us out," he replied, and stood behind her. He slipped his hands loosely around her. "Apparently, even though we had left, there were still signs of our kind's activities, and they figured the time had come to annihilate us."

"But why?"

He shrugged. "To tell the truth, I really have no idea, but it will be highly unlikely that they find us now," the look in her eyes bade him to continue. "This valley is on protected land, meaning the scientists would need a permit to gain access, but even if they did there is a slim chance of them actually finding us."

"How's that?"

He smiled. "We have our ways."

Those ways came in handy, as NIMH somehow gained permission to enter the valley. They searched all that they could in the time they'd been given, but at the end of the day had to depart without seeing a single trace of their escaped experiments, but they didn't know how it was possible. The rats had easily outsmarted them, almost too easily. The fact that it was winter only helped their cause.

The fields normally outside were planted in irregular groups throughout the valley floor, it would be difficult come harvesting time, but it helped to hide their tracks; as orderly, cultivated fields would draw too much attention. The windows also had removable glass panes, and the cylinders of stone carved from them had all been kept, just in case situations like this occurred. The solar panels nestled in the stones atop the cliffs had also been camouflaged, covered with the very snow that filtered down from the clouds. Add to that the fact that no one went outside, and the land seemed deserted as it had always been. At least, until Helena came into the picture.

She'd gone outside without clothes, possibly trying to look normal, when a man from NIMH spotted her. She squeaked in surprise, which had really been a curse or two, and began running wildly throughout the place. She'd nearly led him to the cliffs several times, then remembered herself and dashed the other way. Eventually she'd been caught in a large hole littered with garbage, and had just barely made it out. The hole'd had an odd smell, but she said nothing of it until they were sure the men were gone.

"It seemed that someone had lived there until just recently," she explained to her nephew. She also appeared to be trying to seduce him as well. "But it was empty when I fell in there, and looked as though it hadn't been touched in months." She'd left a few minutes later, unable to get his full attention, at least the kind she wanted.


	10. Omicron Zeta

"That is so ridiculous," Amy tilted her head toward the tree, motioning toward the pair that lay beneath it. It had been unusually warm for the past two weeks, causing all the snow and frost to melt, yet the trees remained bare. She and her friends were what you would call a sorority, a group of gorgeous young women who strived to be noticed. They were outside, enjoying the abnormal weather, when Amy had noticed their leader with his arms around a girl that wasn't one of them. "Can you believe that?"

"I know," said Sasha. Her lips twisted in a hateful sneer. Along with having looks, they were also of the mentality that they were every man's dream, and every girl's worst nightmare. "It is so pathetic."

Jamie just looked away. She didn't want to be in the group, but the girls said her looks were "just perfect", and wouldn't allow her to leave. When she didn't say anything regarding Justin's new girl, they boded her to do so.

"Come on, Jamie," said Amber. She smiled haughtily. "You've been in love with him since you were kids, are you really going to let her take him so easily?"

"I think of him as a little brother," said Jamie. "Not as a target. Why not let him have who he wants?"

"Oh, we have no problem with that," said Amy, and motioned to the group. "As long as he wants one of us."

Jamie pointed over her shoulder. "He doesn't want any of you whores."

The rest watched as Justin tilted Ella's chin back with his hand, kissing her tenderly. They all uttered disgusted groans. To them, watching him fall in love with someone else was akin to helping out with the young children before they were toilet-trained. It was something they figured they were too high to deal with.

"Well, if she thinks she can take him that easily," stated Amber. "Then she needs to be taught who really rules this place."

Sasha laughed haughtily. "Let's show her what happens when you mess with Omicron Zeta." The others then joined in her fractured glee, while Jamie just looked on in fear.

Ella was in the sewing department when Amy approached her the next day. She was folding clothes ready to be distributed when a large shadow fell over her. She barely glanced back. "Can I help you?"

"Why yes," Amy said, mock-sweetly. "You can help by keeping your dirty paws off of Justin."

"Excuse me?" Ella looked up, seeing a lovely young girl, face twisted in anger. She backed up a step. "Who are you?"

Amy stepped forward, lowering her voice to a hiss. "I'm the leader of Omicron Zeta, and I'm here to tell you who really rules this colony."

"I-I don't understand-" Amy kept stepping back, feeling her tail hit the wall. Amy was face to face with her, knocking the cloth from her paws.

"You know very well what I'm talking about, you little skank," she snapped angrily. "Stay away from Justin, or else there will be trouble."

"You're the only trouble here," Kat gripped the back of her dress, pulling her from the mouse, shoving her toward the door. Amy glared at her, then back at Ella, but apparently decided to save her fight for another day. She stalked from the room, knocking over anyone and anything in her path. After she was gone, Kat looked back to Mrs. Brisby. "You alright, Ella?"

"I-I suppose," Ella replied, and stepped forth from the wall. She bent down to get her shirt, but seemed to have trouble standing back upright. "Who was that?"

"Amy Lisk, head of the whore-ority Omicron Zeta," Ella couldn't miss the scorn in her voice. "They go about thinking they're the big girls on campus, when really they're just a bunch of sluts."

"What do they want with me?"

"They're jealous, because you have Justin," Kat told her, smiling. Ella just looked confused. "They have the mentality that they're his dream girls, and they'll do anything to keep the others away from him."

"Am I in any danger?" Ella asked quietly.

"Nothing too serious," Kat replied. "The worst you'll be getting is occasional threats, but Justin will stop it before too much longer."

"So, the group's up to their old tricks again."

Jamie nodded, facing the floor. Justin was back in the barracks, teaching the newer trainees the ropes of self-defense. She'd come just when he was allowing them to leave. "Kat told me about what happened with Ella this morning." She watched his profile as he thought of what he should do. The glow from the skylight set a gold halo around him, causing her heart to race. He hadn't chosen her, and that was just fine, but it didn't mean she still couldn't pine over him. She just hoped it didn't get too out of hand. After all, she didn't want to end up being anything more than an unwilling member of Omicron Zeta, which would mean becoming a snob and losing her real friends.

"The problem is," his voice snapped her back to reality. "I can't do anything unless they physically assault her, otherwise they can't really be charged with anything."

"It seems like they're serious about keeping her from you," she admitted. "I'm not saying they are going do it, but you should watch them, just to be safe."

"I'll do what I can," he said quietly. "But I'm afraid that, as of now, I can't make any promises."


	11. The Talk

"Mommy, are you okay?" Cynthia watched as her mother struggled to bend, and noticed that the front of her dress was oddly shaped, almost as if she had a pile of blankets beneath it.

"I'm fine, sweetie," she replied, taking a seat on the couch. She gave a deep sigh. "Just a little tired."

"Why?" Cynthia climbed onto the cushion beside her. She laughed, deciding it was time for her to know.

"Come here," she took the girl's hand, placing it just below her heart. They could both feel a small bit of movement, as though something were growing there. She was about to ask when a knock sounded from the hall.

"I get it," the toddler bounded from the couch, laughing in delight when she saw who was at the door. When she returned she was in Justin's arms, smiling in content. But the look changed when she saw her mother. "Mommy's sick," she said to him. She pointed toward Ella's dress. "See; something wrong with her tummy."

"Oh, is there?" the grin had faded from his lips as well, feigning concern as he set the child back on her feet. He glanced at Ella, who just shook her head.

"Cynthia, why don't you go find your siblings?" said her mother. "There's something we should talk about."

"Okay!" Cynthia dashed from the room, once again bubbling with giggles. When she was gone, Justin took a seat beside Ella, wrapping an arm loosely around her.

"So…what's this we need to talk about?" he asked playfully. She giggled, putting his hand just below her heart. It was slight, but enough to feel. He looked up at her, smiling happily. He'd never had this chance before.

"So, wait a minute," Martin, slightly wide-eyed, stared at his mother and friend. "You guys are…together?"

Ella nodded. "That's right, but-"

"But why?" began Timothy. Tears had formed at the corners of his eyes, but they wouldn't fall.

Ella sighed. She'd known this was going to be hard, but had never thought how hard. She took a deep breath, trying to find the words she wanted. "Timothy, all of you, you know how special your father was to me. He helped to give you all life, as well as saved mine on more than one occasion. You should all know that I still love him, but also that, unfortunately, he can no longer be with us," she visibly fought to hold back tears of her own. "It's been a long time since his death, and I've grown to think of Justin as more than a friend. He won't replace your father, but he wants to be there for us since Jonathan no longer can…" she trailed off, not knowing what else to say. The children sat silently, considering the situation, then got up as one, filing silently from the room. The only one who didn't go was Cynthia. She toddled up to Justin, who knelt down to speak with her face to face.

"I don't remember my daddy," she said quietly. "When he left I was still a baby." She looked up, holding out her hands. He took her into his arms. "If you want to be there, then it's okay with me, but I don't know about the others."

She rested against his chest a moment longer, then slowly slipped free of his grasp. She then went out to go find her siblings. Normally, Ella wouldn't have allowed such a thing, but she had her eyes buried in the cloth of her dress. Soft cries emitted from her folded form. Justin sat beside her, holding her close. He loved her, as well as her children, and knew how difficult this must have been for her. Indeed, it had been months since Jonathan's death, but the children were still just coming to terms with his being gone. Cynthia seemed ready to accept him, that he was grateful for, but he didn't want any bad blood between him and the others, and wondered what he would do if they grew to hate him.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," she whispered. Justin gazed down at her, smiling tenderly. But it quickly faded.

"I should be the one to apologize," he said quietly. "I didn't think how hard it would be to explain this to them, or how hard it would be on you."

She smiled, nuzzling his neck. She didn't say anything, she didn't need to. She truly loved him, and the small grief of her childrens' shock was just a consequence. She was willing to accept their feelings, whatever they may be, and whatever events came because of them. She just hoped it wouldn't last too long.


	12. Cracked

**No hating for the ooc-ness; it came on its own. :'(**

* * *

Martin sat in the snow with his siblings. The temperature had dropped again, bringing with it a fresh sheet of snow. He and Timothy had donned the brown cloaks they'd shoved in their packs, as it was colder than when they arrived. They had spent the last hour discussing the current development of their mom liking Justin.

"He's a great guy and all," Martin was saying. "But I wish she had told us sooner."

Teresa nodded, dragging a hand through the snow. She blew the white flakes in Timothy's face, waking him from a slight doze. "What's your opinion, Tim?" she questioned him. He shrugged, brushing the snow from his shoulder.

"Honestly, I'm not too happy with it," he said plainly, which was really strange for him. He usually sugar-coated his ideas, making them innocent as possible. "I mean, yeah, Justin's cool and all, but isn't kinda strange for our mom to like him? I mean, he is a rat after all."

"That shouldn't matter," snapped Cynthia. She may have been young, but she could speak clearly when she wanted to. It usually happened when she wanted to make a point. Her siblings just looked at her. "What should matter to us is whether she's happy or not, not who she's with."

"You know, she's kinda right," said Teresa. "I mean, I had a crush on him too, when I first met him. Maybe he's got one on our mom."

Timothy rolled his eyes. "You guys are being stupid," he snapped angrily. "A rat, liking our mom? Come on, we're two different species,"

"And?" boded Teresa.

"And…" Tim struggled to find something. "And…it just won't work!"

"How would you know?" hissed Cynthia. She got to her feet, glaring down at him. "And besides, why should it matter?" he looked as if he would speak, but she kept talking. "Love is love, it doesn't matter who it is, or what species they are; all that matters is if they're happy and whether they get along!" she paused a moment, but he was shocked to silence. It just seemed to fuel her anger. "Get it through your thick skull, Timothy Brisby," she yelled, shoving him down. "This is one case where you're dead wrong-"

"Shut up!" Timothy leapt to his feet, shoving his fist savagely in her face. She fell, crying, into the snow, holding a paw to her nose.

"What the heck, Tim?" yelled Martin. He gripped his brother's collar. "What's gotten into you?"

Tim was panting, gazing down at his clenched hand, tears welling in his eyes when he saw what he'd done to his sister. "I…don't know…I just-"

"Guys, this is bad," Teresa cut in, holding her sister up. Blood was smeared on the back of her head, dripping into the snow. The grey tip of a sharp rock was visible just behind her. She brought the girl to her feet. "Come on, we need to get her inside." when they got her to the infirmary, her nose was also bleeding.

"What happened?" Conrad gasped in shock, seeing the wounds. Martin and Teresa glared at their brother, who just shook his head.

"You coward," hissed Martin. "It was Timothy's fault," he said to Conrad. "Cynthia said something, and he got upset, and did this." He motioned to his baby sister, who was still crying. It took them ten minutes to get the bleeding stopped, during which time Timmy alternated between feeling shame and boiling rage. How dare she speak to him in such a way! He'd always had a bit of a temper, but it had never gotten to the point where he'd lashed out at someone, unless he was returning the favor. Yet he made no attempt to explain his actions.

"Children?" Ella pushed the door aside, seeing them grouped around Conrad. Cynthia was in his lap, shaking as she clung to him. She seemed deathly afraid of one of her siblings. "What happened?"

Martin turned, giving his brother a face that would kill the devil, and shoved him roughly forward. "Tell her, you bastard."

"Martin!" she'd never heard such language from him before. She stepped closer. "Just what is going on?"

"I'll tell you what's going on," snapped Timothy. He took his time explaining, voice cold all the while. His eyes were empty slits until the end, when he closed them as he tilted his head toward the floor. "I don't care what you say to me," he said. "I'll never except this." He glared at his mother, who hardly recognized him. His voice was deeper than usual as he hissed, "You want to betray dad's memory, than that's fine, but don't count on any support from me." he stormed from the room, knocking Justin from his path. The rat stared after him, thoroughly confused.

"Um, did I miss something?" Ella just fought to not break into tears.

Later that night, after the children were all asleep, she confronted her lover with what had happened that morning. Justin had been finishing with his duties when she approached, and was thoroughly shocked by what she revealed.

"He's never acted like that before, has he?" he asked. Ella shook her head.

"No, I've never seen him that way," she began. The next words shattered her heart. "The last thing he said was that I was betraying Jonathan's memory…" she lost the fight to hold back her tears. Feeling his own heart break, Justin took her into his arms, kissing her tenderly as he wiped her soft cheeks. She stared at him, pulling from his embrace. "I can't have him thinking I've forgotten his father," she whispered. Her eyes bore deeply into his. "I can't go through with this anymore, I'm sorry."

Before Justin could speak, she was gone. He could hear her sobs echo from her bedroom. Her words made him bleed, cutting deeper every second they echoed in his mind. It was over.


	13. Wretched

Omicron Zeta surrounded him the next day. They wore their most revealing clothes, giggling and smiling, not caring for his plight. The only member to see his sorrow was Jamie, but she was unable to get close to him. He completely ignored Amy and her friends, trying to act normal, but she couldn't miss the anguish in his eyes, the defeat that slumped his posture, and the fact that he had backed down from a challenge issued by one of the younger guards. That kind of thing just didn't happen. Kat tried speaking to him later that night, but she could get nothing from him. Almost a week had passed when Jamie finally got up the courage to approach him.

"Justin?" she tapped on his door, entering without a reply. She found him slumped over his desk, head resting on his arms. But he wasn't asleep. "Justin, we need to talk."

He lifted his head, turning to face her. His dark eyes were bloodshot, hair disheveled, a small tear slipping down the side of his face. "What happened?" she asked.

He shook his head, glancing away. "Nothing," his voice was firm, yet rough from crying. His hand drifted to his forehead. "I've…just had a few rough nights is all."

She glared at him, hand on her hip. She shook her finger at him as though he were still a child. "You know I won't buy that," she snapped. "I've seen how you've been acting," she paused, knowing what he was about to say. "And I'm not leaving until you tell me everything." She lowered herself into a chair. "What's happened with you? You're acting like a mirror opposite of yourself."

"It's nothing, alright?" his fist hit the desk, cracking the wood. She was shocked by his sudden temper, but it did nothing to stop her.

"Amy said you broke up with Ella," she replied. "I just came here to find out the truth. Is it true, or was that whore lying to me?"

He sighed, knowing he could no longer hide. "For once, she was telling the truth, but she probably made up her own version of events."

Jamie nodded. "She said Ella caught you cheating on her, and that she ended it right then."

"It ended about a week ago, but far from her interpretation…" he explained the events as they happened, seeing the shock in her eyes, her anger, the tears that she barely held back. When he was done, the room was silent.

"I know you still love her," she told him. "But you don't want her children hurt. You want to be with her, yet you fear what may happen if you go back," she paused, thinking what she could do. "Moping around won't solve anything. I'll talk to Timothy, see if there's another page to this story." She got to her feet, gazed at him for a moment, then slipped from the room. Justin watched the snow falling outside his window, thinking of what he should do.

"Ella, we need to talk."

Ella was reading in front of the fireplace, a slim sheet pulled over her shoulders. She had a hand on her swollen belly. "There's nothing to talk about," she said quietly, flipping a page. He placed a hand on the page, tilting her face up to meet his. He was dressed in warm clothes, with the dark blue cape wrapped around him.

"Get dressed, come with me," his voice was quiet, yet brooked no argument. She nodded, and in a few minutes was walking beside him in the snow. Once he knew they were far enough away, he turned to her, taking her hands firmly in his. He knelt down so they were face to face. "What's happened with us?"

"Nothing," she said softly. She gazed in his eyes, not seeing his sadness. "Justin, it's over. Why can't you just let it go?"

"Because I love you."

She pulled her hands from his grasp, turning away. "And I care greatly for you," she said quietly. She swallowed her tears. "But I'm afraid it can no longer work between us; I'm sorry." She slowly walked back toward the cliffs, leaving him alone. He didn't return until he was sure she had gone to bed. He didn't want her to see his pain. Two weeks later their daughter was born, but Ella continued to avoid him. It took him three days just to hear his child's name: Amanda. That night he lay in bed, shedding the first real tears he had since childhood. It felt as though his heart had been ripped from his chest, though he continued to live.

"Dear, are you alright?" It had been two months, and Helena was growing concerned about her nephew's well-being. She entered his office without knocking, clad in a simple brown dress, long red hair tossed behind her shoulders. The first time she saw him with Ella she realized what she'd been missing, and had quickly changed her ways. She also reestablished her relationship with Conrad's father, who had been her first husband. Though the sight of her nephew still aroused her slightly, she successfully hid it as she pulled him on the couch beside her. "I haven't seen you with Ella for some time," she said gently. "Has something happened?"

He nodded. "It was Timothy." He explained his situation, revealing every detail to her, ending it with Amanda's birth. "I doubt she's even told that little girl who her father is," he finished.

Helena just sat there, shocked. "That's not Timothy's normal behavior," she said, almost to herself. She suddenly remembered seeing with Sasha and Amy, then later with all of Omicron Zeta. They seemed to be teasing him, manipulating his thoughts to suit their needs. They had used him to get Ella away from Justin. "I'm going to speak with him," she announced suddenly. "I know that Jamie already tried," she continued. "But she doesn't have the training that I do, so maybe I'll have a bit more luck." It was a fact few knew of Helena James. She was a child psychiatrist, and did her job well. She spent a few more minutes talking with him, trying to lift his spirits, then left when he said he needed to get back to work. She wandered through the halls, searching for her son.

"Mom?" Conrad saw her coming, seeing the look on her face. She lifted her head to face him, shocked to find him almost a head taller than herself. "Is something wrong?"

"Have you seen Timothy?" she asked. He nodded.

"I saw him heading toward the library a while ago; why?"

"I need to speak with him," she said simply. He needed no further explanation. He had seen the problem first hand. "Try and up your cousin, alright?"

He shrugged. "I'll try, but I can't make any promises."

"Thank you," they headed their separate ways. She arrived just in time to stop Timothy from doing something drastic. She pulled him to her family's home, ignoring his protests, locking the door once they had entered. She'd planned on being gentle, but had chosen otherwise once she saw his attempt. She set him down in a special chair, one that would keep him from doing anything else.

"Now, Timothy," she began, sitting opposite him. "Tell me, what's been going on? Why are you acting this way?"

He fought to free himself, glaring hatefully at her. "I won't explain anything to a whore," he snapped angrily.

"You can call me whatever you like," she told him. "But I'm not letting you go until you tell me what's going on, and I mean your words, not what Amy and Sasha told you to say."

"How did you know about that?" he asked.

"I saw you with them, and it didn't take me long to figure out what they wanted from you." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, folding her fingers. "They're jealous, Timothy. That's why they manipulated you into thinking your mother was betraying your father's memory by falling in love with my nephew." The shock in his eyes was undeniable, but there was no regret as of yet. "Jonathan wouldn't have wanted her alone for the rest of her life,"

"But they told me he cheated on her!" he fought to stand, but was still trapped.

"With whom?" she questioned. "One of them?" his eyes widened. "That's just what they wanted you to believe. They wanted you to destroy Ella's trust, so that she would leave him. They've been crowding him ever since then."

Timothy just sat there, shocked beyond belief; those girls, those sexy, gorgeous girls that had been so nice to him, had just been using him to ruin his mother's relationship, and all because of their petty jealousy. After a moment of thought he realized the look he had seen in their eyes. They'd had a strange glitter, like the glow of pure evil. All of a sudden he calmed, nearly toppling forward. He felt something snap deeply within his heart, the fog lifting from his mind, eyes clearing as though he had just woken from a black dream. He remained conscious a moment longer, then slumped over in sleep. Helena got to her feet, freeing him from the chair, taking him into her spare bedroom.

"No, no, no!" Amy groaned loudly in disgust, feeling the tear as Timothy was freed from her control. She shoved the orb off the table, wanting it to shatter, nearly screaming when it didn't even crack. "This cannot be happening!"

Omicron Zeta was more than just a whore-ority; it was a group of young girls obsessed with the occult, producing dark spells to curse those they felt had wronged them. And their key to Ella's downfall had just been snatched from them by their former leader.

"She's going to pay for this," Sasha hissed, clenching a fist. She'd been the first of them to develop a crush on Justin, yet had promised to share if she was the first to control him. "After all, a hunk like him should belong to all of us, right?"

"Right," Amber nodded in agreement, running a brush through her long, soft hair. She was a blond, Amy a redhead, and Sasha a brunette.

"I don't know," said Jamie. She ran a claw through her own black locks. "Why can't we just let him be happy?"

They stared at her like she was crazy. "What do you mean?" asked Sasha.

"Ugh, look at him," Jamie pointed to their fallen globe, which showed their leader with his head bowed over his desk. "He's miserable without Ella, but apparently you're all too obsessed to see that."

They stared at her longer, glanced at each other, then burst out laughing; and for the first time in her life, Jamie wished she had a knife in her hand. "You assholes," she snapped, and slammed the door loudly behind her. They paid her no mind, instead discussing what they would do for Amber's birthday party later that month.


	14. Reunited

Ella sobbed into her sheets, feeling as though her heart had been ground into dust. She had fallen in love almost without realizing it; she'd even had another man's child, only to find that that man had been cheating on her, with teenagers no less.

"I never believed he would do such a thing," she told herself quietly. Indeed, it was difficult to even fathom such a thought, but apparently he wasn't as true as led to believe. Yet there was still a small tugging in her heart, a longing for his arms around her, hands softly caressing her, lips delivering fiery kisses. She'd avoided him, trying so hard to numb the pain, finding that it only made her feel worse. But for some reason she felt as though she could no longer approach him.

"He's hurt me as much as I've hurt him," she whispered. Her gaze traveled to her child, sleeping peacefully in her crib beside the small bed. "She looks just like him…"

Indeed, Amanda Wilson was almost a mirror image of her father, having his hair and eyes, ears placed on the sides of her head, yet she had her mother's paws and fur; a truly lovely young girl. The realization wounded her even more, knowing that the father was of a different species, as well as mutated blood, knowing that she had betrayed her husband's memory. She heard someone knock, then quietly enter, but the scent wasn't the one she expected.

"Helena?" she sat up in her sheets, wiping her eyes. Helena James stood before her, a concerned look in her frightened green eyes. In a few minutes a young mouse stood next to her. "Timothy; what's going on?"

"There's something we need to discuss," Helena said firmly. Timothy nodded, yet wouldn't look at his mother.

"It's about Justin…"

The next two hours were filled with shocking discussion. Ella sat silently while they explained, giving light to details that before had been hidden to her. She was then informed of the hatred Amy, Sasha, and Amber held against her, that Ella was stealing the one who was rightfully theirs, and how Amy had crafted the tale that he had been cheating. At once, Ella felt foolish for having believed such a story, especially when she considered who it had come from, but then Timothy explained the hold those girls had passed over him, making it so he believed every word that flew from their lips.

"So, Justin never cheated?" she asked. Helena shook her head.

"My nephew is as true as they come," she said firmly. "He would never hurt someone, in any way, unless…" she was interrupted by Ella's sudden sobbing, but she had a feeling they weren't tears of sadness.

"Oh, Helena, what have I done?" she cried miserably. She wiped her face with a soaked hand. She stood, wrapping her cape tightly around her. She seemed to have forgotten her audience. "I've been such a fool," she said to herself. "Believing an obvious lie, thinking he would do such a thing…" she slipped to the hall, letting the door close harshly behind her. Amanda remained sleeping, not waking once.

Justin was heading outside, head bowed in thought. He'd long been wanting to propose to his love, though that she would never trust him again. It had been so long since she'd even looked at him, he was beginning to consider the girls from Omicron Zeta, only to throw the idea from his mind. He would _never _choose one of them, even if it meant living with a dead heart until his last breath. Yet he had no idea how to get her back. _How could I even get her to listen?_

"Justin," he ignored it, thinking it was Amy, but stopped dead when the call came again. "Justin!"

"Ella?" he turned, seeing her running toward him, tears streaking her face. he knelt down, taking her in his arms the moment she approached.

"Oh, Justin," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry; I-I should have known she was lying…" she choked on her tears, bringing her words to an end. Justin could do little more than gaze at her in shock. Curious about what was occurring, various rats had formed a ring around them, watching silently as he wiped her tears with a claw.

"I've put you through so much," she whispered. "And you're still willing to forgive me?"

"It doesn't matter," he said quietly. He held her more closely, feeling his heart race in his chest. Minutes later he pulled her away, gazing deeply into her crystal blue eyes. "I love you, Ella, and nothing could change how I feel."

"Oh, Justin," she threw her arms tightly around him. They shared a long, passionate kiss. "I love you too."

He smiled, once more taking her hands firmly in his. "And Ella," he said softly. "Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

She barely had time to breathe before a shard of silver streaked through the air, becoming embedded in his left shoulder. He reached back, pulling free a small blade. Engraved in the steel was a "Z" inside an "O", sign of the Omicron Zeta.

* * *

**Me: Oh, cliff hanger!**

**Amy: Why the hell did you end it there?**

**Me: Shut up, bitch.**

**Amy: *turns away***

**:P**


	15. Once Torn

The crowd gasped in unison, more in shock instead of fear. Justin moved as though he didn't feel his wound, gazing furiously past their faces, seeing three girls argue near the back; a blond, a brunette, and a redhead.

"You were supposed to hit Ella!" the blond shouted. She seemed the most upset.

"Well, I couldn't exactly get a clear shot!" the redhead snapped back. The brunette just backed slowly away, seeing something the other two couldn't.

"A bit jealous, I take it?" they were silenced by Justin's smooth voice. There was a red stain spreading on the white cloth of his uniform. Blood soaked the bandages wrapped on his hand, dripping from the blade held in his grasp. The white strips covered each hand, encasing his palm, edging halfway to his elbow. He didn't really need them anymore, but for some reason had never gotten rid of them. He casually examined the knife he still held, only to have it swiped from his claws.

"This blade was meant for Ella, not you," Amy said suddenly. "It was supposed to tear through the little whore's heart." She prepared to toss again, feeling a sharp blow to the back of her head. She fell to the floor, unconscious; Sasha and Amber gladly took up the fight.

"We didn't want to hurt you," Amber said darkly. Her blue eyes started to glow. "But I'm afraid now we have no choice."

They weren't prepared for him to fight back, or how easily he overcame their dark power. He had the Stone hidden in his clothes, as he always did, the chain coming to rest around his neck. He countered every attack the two demons threw, and eventually managed to shatter their lives. He had just calmed when a sharp scream echoed behind him.

Amy had awoken during the battle, and had buried her claws in Ella's stomach. She'd just been about to strike again when a streak of silver melted into her hair, knife piercing her brain from behind. Justin stood panting, watching as she fell, rushing toward his love. Ella's eyes were closed, her breathing irregular, yet her heartbeat didn't seem altered. They wasted no time getting her to Conrad, who did all that he could. She seemed to recover, only to become drastically worse.

She died two days later, the very dawn that Amy, Sasha, and Amber were to be buried. Justin ordered that her own funeral be delayed, but wouldn't give his reason. He was in his room, watching the proceedings, when his cousin leaned against his doorframe.

"Good morrow cousin," Conrad said jokingly, hoping to cheer him up.

"Is the day so young?" Justin's gaze didn't move from the snow-covered landscape. Three coffins had just been lowered into their cemetery, containing the bodies of girls tainted by jealousy.

"But new struck, cuz."

"Ay me, sad hours seem long," he still refused to look away from the funeral.

Conrad sat on the cushion beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You did the right thing," he said softly. "They would have murdered more than just Ella if they had been allowed to live."

"I know," he stared down at the jewel in his hand, tears coating the surface. "I just…can't believe she's gone…" he'd promised himself that he would never cry in front of others, but couldn't hold back the pain in his heart. He lowered his head to his shaking hands, sobbing openly. Conrad tightened his grip.

"She's still here," he said quietly. "If you wanted to say your goodbyes." He rose, departing from the room. Justin gazed once more at the Stone, remembering its awesome power, wondering if it could bring love back from the dead. He rose from the window, wiping his eyes, heading for the infirmary.

Ella lay upon a silken white sheet, wrapped in her cape, hands folded on her chest. He couldn't help but notice her beauty, unbeatable even in death, and hoped that his wish would indeed prove correct. If it didn't, well, he would be ready to join her in heaven. He tried to harness the power he had used so often before, what had protected them from so many threats, only to find the well empty, as though drained with her death. Fresh tears flooded his eyes, he gently kissed her cold lips, slipping the chain around her neck. He then knelt down on the stone floor beside her, sobbing openly into his hands. He had no idea of the soft red light surrounding them, the sight of her scars as they vanished from view; the soft sigh that echoed through the chamber.

"Justin," she whispered. He felt he was hearing things, lifting his head. His jaw dropped, eyes widening at the vision before him. Ella was alive, pushing herself up from the bed, Stone glowing at her breast. Her lips curled in a joyful grin as she gazed at her lover. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Ella?" Justin could barely form the word, shocked beyond belief. He reached up, taking her in his arms, feeling her pulse. "Y-You're alive…but…but how?"

She held up the jewel at her throat. "Courage of the heart is very rare, the Stone has a power when it's there."

He shook his head, fist tightening behind her back. Small jolts of pain shot through his arm, which could only mean one thing. He wasn't dreaming. Ella was really alive, he really had his love in his arms. they shared soft kisses that slowly grew deeper, until he remembered. He pulled away, setting her back on the bed.

"Ella," he whispered. "I know I have already asked, but I never caught your reply." He lowered back in his kneel, taking her hands firmly in his. "Ella," he repeated. "Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

She could only nod in response, too happy to speak.


	16. Epilogue

The wedding took place later that spring, carried out in the fresh beauty of the woods. The young couple was more dazzling than ever, the colonists happier than they had ever been. The Brisby children had long ago forgiven their brother, after being told of the spell the Omicron Zeta had cast upon him, overjoyed that they had finally found a safe home. They were also excited to have a new father, one that could tell them of Jonathan's life, the details they had wondered about for so long.

The group broke into joyous applause when they kissed, knowing their leader now had the family he'd dreamt of for so long, knowing they were safe from danger. Young, fresh flowers fell in the breeze, river laughing in its banks; birds sang in the trees. The festivities lasted long into the night, music and laughter echoing through the forest, bringing forth curious visitors. Various animals crowded around the small windows, watching these strange creatures, wondering what would incline them to attract such attention. But then again, the rats of NIMH had always been different, and they knew that the cliff-dwellers were just following their own set of customs, even if they kept the forest up until dawn.

* * *

**Okay, not my best ending ever, but it's almost 1AM here, so I'm not fully awake. I may revise this later, or I'll just leave it the way it is. Either way, I suppose it is finished for now, and I hope you enjoyed my little tale. :)**


End file.
